The Ashby Inn & Restaurant History

The Ashby Inn & Restaurant, originally built as a single-bedroom private residence in 1829, is located in the quiet village of Paris, Virginia (population 70). Just one hour west of Washington, DC, The Ashby Inn is at the very center of our country's dynamic first century. From George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette to Stonewall Jackson and John Singleton Mosby, the village has played an integral part in the lives of those who shaped America.

Long regarded as one of the very best restaurants in Northern Virginia, The Ashby Inn offers a menu that is thoughtful, expressive, and in spring and summer, inspired by its own gardens.

The Ashby Inn's guest rooms vary in size and decor. Each is furnished with 19th century pieces, including four-poster beds, hand-painted wardrobes, quilts, oriental rugs and blanket chests. Four rooms have wood burning fireplaces. Outside The Ashby Inn you will find Adirondack chairs, manicured lawns lined with beautiful perennial flower beds and The Ashby Inn's vegetable and cutting gardens.

What would become The Ashby Inn was built circa 1829 by local blacksmith, Manley Pierce. The original house had four rooms with additions added over the years. It was on the original porch that Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Stonewall Jackson rested on their way to the First Battle of Manassas on the night of June 17, 1861. The house also served as a Methodist parsonage for many years. Circa 1940, Norman and Marie Ashby purchased the Parsonage, and began restoring the home as we know it today.

What is now the Registration Office was once the town's General Store; operated by Robert Lee. Most of the space is virtually untouched since the store closed in the mid 1940's, boasting the original wood flooring, and adverts for Royal Crown Cola still visible on the windows. In 1984, John & Roma Sherman purchased the house and opened what we now call The Ashby Inn & Restaurant. The adjacent School House was later acquired and extensively renovated in 1991. In 2005, the Shermans sold The Ashby Inn & Restaurant to Charles and Jackie Leopold.